The main claim of the occupiers to civilians abducted in Ukraine is that they are Ukrainians, – Victoria Andrusha

The occupiers, who kidnap Ukrainians on the territories captured during the Russian aggression against Ukraine, have only one claim against our citizens – that they are, in fact, Ukrainians. Math teacher Viktoria Andrusha from the Brovar district of the Kyiv region, who was held captive by the Russians for more than six months, told about it during a special press conference organized by the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL).

“We have to tell the whole world about the conditions in which Ukrainian civilians and military are living. The authorities of the Russian Federation do not divide kidnapped Ukrainians into civilians and combatants – they keep them all together. The main claim that the Russians expressed to us: you are from Ukraine!” – testifies the former prisoner of the pre-trial detention center in Kursk. Victoria got there after she was abducted from her home by the Russian military.

She also spoke about the fact that detained Ukrainians are constantly abused in places of deprivation of liberty in the Russian Federation. One of the elements of such abuse was that they were forced to constantly sing the national anthem of the Russian Federation and other Russian songs. “I’m sure they have a special manual with a list of such songs,” Victoria added.

The former prisoner also said that the Ukrainians do not receive any information. They are constantly under all kinds of psychological and physical pressure. “Any complaints were met with beatings, especially men… during the so-called “reception” all Ukrainians were called “Benderivets’ ” and “nationalists.” The employees of the pre-trial detention center eavesdropped on the conversations of the prisoners in the cells. Then they constantly pressured and forced them to confess what the prisoners were talking about themselves. Ukrainian girls were punished by shaving their heads bare,” said the dismissed teacher.

Answering the journalist’s question, Victoria said that the peak of cynicism and senselessness of her detention in the pretrial detention center was the fact that her “criminal case” for which she was detained and should be “tried in the Russian Federation” was initiated under the article “Espionage”. “At the beginning of May, I was informed that the consideration of my “case” proved my innocence and I will soon be released… But I was released in September, as you know,” Victoria said.

Nataliya Yashchuk, the coordinator of national projects of the CCL, in her turn said that as of today, the CCL recorded 686 cases of illegal detention of civilians. Of them, 11 people were killed, 265 were released, 410 are still in captivity or their whereabouts are unknown. The probable place of residence is known only in 101 cases.

“Since the de-occupation of the Kyiv region, the CCL’s team has devoted enormous resources to documenting war crimes. In order to record and show the world the huge volume of crimes committed by the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine. In particular, cases of enforced disappearances were recorded personally. We also have a team of volunteers who record such cases even in the temporarily occupied territories, due to appeals from relatives,” Nataliya Yashchuk noted.

Oleksandra Romantsova, executive director of the CCL, noted that the opinion that there is no possibility of influencing Russia on the issue of civilian hostages from Ukraine is a mistake.

“We can influence the Russian Federation. Ordinary people have extraordinary abilities. At one time, our campaigns #SaveOlegSentsov, #PrisonersVoice became known throughout the world thanks to people who took to the streets of cities in their countries and supported us. Everyone who cares about the fate of the world should make it clear to the politicians of their countries that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are illegal and dangerous for democracy. To stop them, we need support for the self-defense of Ukrainians and an international mechanism of justice, which thousands of victims of war crimes are waiting for,” the human rights activist emphasized.

Mykhailo Savva, a CCL’s expert, speaking about the large-scale problem of the abduction of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian military, emphasized that Russia should release all detained civilians without any conditions.

The actions of the Russian Federation against Ukrainian civilians are a direct violation of Clause 3 of Article 75 of the First Additional Protocol of June 8, 1977, to the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of War Victims. According to it, the aggressor state must release all detained civilians after the military necessity that caused their detention disappears. Therefore, Russia must unconditionally release all detained Ukrainians from the already liberated oblasts: Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, as well as most communities in other oblasts,” the human rights activist emphasized.

Mykhailo Savva also spoke about the fact that 26 places where civilian prisoners are kept are now known. “There are actually more of them, we don’t know all the places… The first task is for people to survive before liberation. In all such places, there are systemic violations, people are being bullied… numerous factors are being recorded already in Russia. And this is a violation not only of IHL but also of international criminal law,” added the CCL expert.